Fire-escape.



J. BOSNYAKOVITS. FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION TILED PEB.23,1912.

Patented July 16, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

INVENTOR Q 505 mia /zh WITNESSES ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPHCOUWASHINGTON. l) c.

J. BOSNYAKOVITS.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.23,1912.

Patented July 16, 1912.

KMZS.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

INVENTOR J 505 [a s E S s E N H w ATTORNEYS lid JOSEPH BOSNYAKOVITS, 0FCLEVELAND, OI-IIO.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1912.

Application filed February 23, 1912. Serial No. 679,308.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn BOSNYAKOVITS, a subject of the King ofHungary, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawing. 7

This invention relates to fire escapes, and the primary object of myinvention is to arrange a foldable ladder within the compartment of abuilding in proximity to the window, whereby after the window sash hasbeen raised, the foldable ladder can be projected from the window topermit of an occupant or person within the room escaplng.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fire escape apparatusthat can be easily and quickly actuated to provide means of escape froma window to the ground, the apparatus being actuated by the persondesiring to escape.

A further object of this invention is to provide a fire escape embodyinga foldable ladder, and to provide simple and effective means inconnection with the ladder for projecting the frame from a window oropening.

"With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to behereinafter specifically described and then claimed. 1

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is aperspective view of a portion of the fire escape as projecting from awindow, Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the same, Fig. 3 is asimilar view showing the foldable ladder of the fireescape in a foldedor closed position, and Fig. At is a plan of the fire escape in aprojected position.

Further describing my invention with reference to the drawings, in whichlike numerals of reference denote like parts throughout: 1 denotes ametallic casing that is mounted upon the floor 2 of a compartment inproximity to the. window 3 thereof. The casing 1 corresponds in heightto the distance of the window sill above the floor and the side walls ofsaid casing are provided with hinged doors or lids 4, whereby the top ofthe casing can be closed.

The fire escape is contained within the easing 1 and with the doors orlids closed, the fire escape cannot be observed in a room, consequentlythe structure presents a neat appearance and the casing can be utilizedas a seat.

Mounted upon the floor 2, within the easing 1, is a base plate 5 havinga front wall 6 and a side wall 7, said side walls having vertical ribs 8in parallelism with the front wall 6. The face plate 5 has an extension9 provided with a bearing 10, and movably mounted in said bearing is alatch 11. The outer end of the latch has a handle piece 12 that extendsthrough an opening 13 provided therefor in the casing 1, said handlepiece having a transverse handle bar 14.

The inner end of the latch 11 has a head 15 and encircling said latch,between the head 15 and the bearing 10, is a coiled compression spring16.

Movably mounted between the side walls 7 and guided by the front wall 6and the vertical ribs 8 is a cross head 17. The cross head 17, adjacentthe ends thereof, and at the upper edge, has lateral extensions 18.These lateral extensions are apertured to receive vertical guide posts19, carried by the face plate 5, said guide posts having the upper endsthereof provided with nuts or heads 20 to limit the upward movement ofthe lateral extensions 18 upon said guide posts. Encircling the guideposts 19, 'between the lateral extensions 18 and the base plate 5, arecoiled compression springs 21 that elevate the lateral extensions 18when the cross head 17 is released.

The cross head 17, intermediate the ends thereof, is provided withapertured lugs 22 and pivotally connected to said lugs by a rod 24; arethe apertured lugs 23 of a pivoted keeper 25. The keeper 25 has theouter end thereof provided with a socket 26 to receive the end of thelatch 11, as best shown in Fig. 8. Encircling the rod 24: is a coiledcompression spring 27 that has one end thereof secured to the keeper 25and the other end thereof connected to one of the apertured lugs 22. Thetension of this spring is such as to elevate the keeper 25 to theposition shown in Fig. 2 when re leased by the latch 11.

The upper edge of the cross head 17 is provided with apertured lugs 28,and pivotally connected to said lugs by a pin 29 are the apertured lugs30 ofa platform 31.

r Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The platform 31 is of a less width than the window 3 and it is adaptedto be swung to a horizontal position to rest upon the window sill, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The platform 31 is reinforced byparallel bars and said bars are provided with hinge members 33.Connected to the hinge members 33 are the uppermost risers 34 of afoldable ladder 35; the rounds or treads 36 of the ladder pivotallyconnecting the risers together, whereby the ladder can be easily foldedupon the platform 31, as shown in The under side of the platform 31 isprovided with a resilient wearing plate 37 that has one end thereofattached to the platform, as at 38. The opposite end of the wearingplate is provided with a push rod 39 that extends through an opening 40provided therefor in the platform. The push rod 39 has a suitable handleor knob 41. The platform 31 also has a supporting leg 42 for saidplatform when the platform is in a closed position within the casing 1,said supporting leg also limiting the closing movement of the platform.The face plate 5 is provided with a vertical guide pin 43, said pinserving as a guide for the keeper 25, which has an oblong opening 44 toreceive the guide pin 43.

In operation, it is preferable to raise the lower sash of the windowbefore placing the fire escape in use, whereby the platform 31 willevenly rest upon the window sill, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When a fireoccurs, the occupant of the room immediately opens the doors or lids 4,and without leaning over the casing 1, pulls upon the handle bars 14.The latch 11 is immediately moved out of engagement with the socket 26of the keeper 25. The coiled compression springs 21 immediatelyelevate'the platform 31 and the folded ladder 35 carried thereby.Simultaneously with the elevation of the platform 31, which is carriedby the cross head 17, said platform is swung upon its hinges toward theopening of the window frame, such movement of the platform being causedby the springs 27 swinging the keeper 25, the socket member of saidkeeper riding against the wearing plate 37 As the platform 31 is swunginto the window frame, the foldable ladder is projected outwardly andunfolds itself and is suspended from the projecting edge of theplatform, the platform resting upon the window sill with the inner endthereof held upon the guide posts 19 by the nuts 20. A person can easilystep on to the platform 31 and descend the ladder. To restore the fireescape to a closed position, the foldable ladder 35 is raised and foldedupon the platform 31. The platform, however, is first folded within thewindow frame and the weight of theladder upon the platform tends tolower the same.

With one hand upon the folded ladder and the other knob or handle 41,the platform downwardly with the wearing plate 37 in engagement with thepivoted keeper 25. The keeper 25 is gradually placed in position and bypulling outwardly upon the latch 11, the keeper 25 will assume aposit-ion that permits of the latch entering the socket 26 of saidkeeper. The keeper will then be locked and retains the platform in alowered position. The doors 4 can then be closed and the fire escape isready for instantuse.

The fire escape in its entirety is made of strong and durable metal, andcan be advantageously used in connection with such building, as hotelsor theaters, where the space for the ordinary type of exterior fireescapes is too limited to permit of a permanent and rigid fire escape.

What I claim is 1. In a fire escape, the combination with a upon the isforced window frame, of a cross head movable at the inner side of saidframe, a pivoted platform carried thereby and adapted to be swungoutwardly from said window frame, a foldable ladder having one endthereof connected to said platform, a pivoted keeper carried by saidcross head, a latch for holding said keeper, and means for elevatingsaid cross head and said platform and coiiperating with said keeper inprojecting said platform from said window frame.

2. In a fire escape, a vertically movable I cross head, a normallylocked platform pivotally connected to said cross head and adapted to beswung from one side thereof to the opposite side when the cross head isat the limit of its upward movement, means for vertically moving saidplatform when the latter is released, a foldable ladder having one endthereof attached to said platform, a spring actuated keeper adapted toswing said platform when said platform is elevated, and a movable latchengaging said keeper for holding said platform in a closed position.

3. In a fire escape, a window frame, of a vertically movable cross headadjacent to the sill thereof and adapted to be elevated on a level withthe sill of said .window frame, a normally locked vertically movableplatform hinged the combination with V to said cross head and adapted tobe swung said cross head for limiting the upward movement thereof.

4%. In a fire escape, the combination With a Window frame, of avertically movable cross head adjacent to the sill thereof and adaptedto be elevated on a level With thesill of said Window frame, a normallylocked vertically movable platform hinged to said cross head and adaptedto be swung out of said Window frame, means for vertically moving saidplatform and cross head When the platform is released, a foldable ladderhaving one end thereof connected to said platform, a spring actuatedkeeper carried by said cross head and adapted to swing said platform outof said Window frame as said bar is elevated, a spring pressed latchengaging said keeper for retaining said platform in a retractedposition, means in proximity to said cross head for limiting the upwardmovement thereof, means in connection With said platform to facilitateshifting said keeper into position to receive said latch, and means forinclosing said fire escape when in a closed position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

JOSEPH BOSNYAKOVITS. WVitnesses ALEXANDER BAPP, LOUIS Fo'rH.

Uopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

